NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark stopped New Jersey City, 6-3 and 6-5, on Alumni Field to earn its first New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep since 2006.

BOX SCORES & PLAY-BY-PLAY
Rutgers-Newark 6, New Jersey City 3
Rutgers-Newark 6, New Jersey City 5

The Scarlet Raiders (7-15, NJAC 2-4) piled up 21 hits as they posted their first NJAC twin killing since downing NJCU twice on April 4, 2006.

IN GAME ONE, the Raiders rode the solid pitching of sophomore Angela Riscinti (4-6) and survived a four-error sixth inning to register their first conference victory of the season. Riscinti struck out one and walked five while giving up just six hits.

Sophomore leftfielder Nicole Odell's two-run double highlighted a four-run fifth inning outburst which spelled the difference.

Senior centerfielder Jessica Zelaya and sophomore catcher Monica Liotto each went two for four to pace Rutgers-Newark's nine-hit attack.

The Gothic Knights (11-13, NJAC 0-6) got back-to-back doubles by Meagan Ginter and junior centerfielder Jess Mucerino to open the game, but Riscinti settled down before NJAC scored a run on four infield errors in the sixth.

Zelaya dropped down a bunt single to lead off the Raider first and scored on an infield grounder by freshman designated player Gabby Spinella. Freshman second baseman Stacey Jacovinich, who had reached on an error, scored from third on an infield grounder when no one covered home after she was caught off base in a rundown. That made it 2-1.

In the fifth, Jacovinich and Liotto singled before a fly ball off the bat of sophomore first baseman Monica Bagan was mishandled with one out to load the bases. Freshman third baseman AJ Affholter singled to left ahead of line drove down the leftfield line. Freshman shortstop Tiara Santi lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield to cap the rally.

In the top of the seventh, Ginter singled ahead of one-out walks to freshman catcher Marissa Bariso and sophomore third baseman Rebecca Satz to load the bases. But after a sacrifice fly by senior second baseman Danielle Delfino plated a run, Riscinti got a ground ball to short to end the game.

IN GAME TWO, the Raiders survived a four-run seventh inning by the Gothic Knights which was capped by a three-run homer to left by Mucerino.

Spinella ripped a two-run double to right centerfield in the fifth and scored the winning run when a relay throw to third after a routine single to leftfield by winning freshman pitcher Liane Drastal (3-5) was thrown out of play. That pushed the Raider lead to 6-1.

The Raiders collected five hits to push across three runs in the third inning with Zelaya contributing an RBI triple against Mecurino (4-7).

NJCU had jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on back-to-back singles by Bariso and Mucerino followed by back-to-back walks to senior first baseman Taylor Lang and senior rightfielder Jordan Potter. But the Raiders escaped the jam when senior second baseman Emily Ibarra snared a line drive to start a rally killing double play.

Drastal gave up nine hits while striking out three and walking three.

Rutgers-Newark visits Montclair State on Tuesday at 3 p.m. for another NJAC doubleheader.